Central Valley Branch 197 Celebrates Weekend Event
By Marilyn Walton
NAPS Western Region Vice President
Branch 197 officers Debbie Baker and Marsha Danzy welcomed California State board members and me to Stockton for an October Saturday afternoon fish and chicken fry with all the trimmings. We enjoyed good food, music, games and fun on a perfect fall day. After all the festivities, Debbie and Marsha opened their homes to us for the night.
On Sunday, we traveled to Modesto, a centralized meeting place for Branch 197. The Central Valley covers two USPS districts—California 2 (Sacramento) to the north and California 3, which includes part of Sierra Coastal to the south (Van Nuys).
The branch held its installation/retirement lunch at Marie Callender’s. This was the branch’s first opportunity since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted to enjoy a social event. There was an impressive turnout.
Members from several California branches, as well as California State board members, traveled to support Branch 197. Neil Gonzalez, MPOO Group 3 and a longtime NAPS member, represented the Postal Service and gave Debbie special recognition for her work on behalf of NAPS.
NAPS Pacific Area Vice President Chuck Lum and I installed the new Executive Board officers: President Angie Gallardo, Vice President Jackie Starr, Secretary Debbie Baker, Treasurer Marsha Danzy and Trustee John Gallardo. Due to the large geographical area of the branch, no retirees attended, but their names were shared, with well-wishes expressed on their retirements. A raffle collected $420 for SPAC.
Attendees enjoyed a specially prepared menu, great fellowship and fun as we closed out our weekend visit to California’s Central Valley.
